A method and a corresponding system for enabling the sending of messages to a recipient via any of a number of messaging systems of different types are disclosed. In the method addresses for said recipient are stored. Furthermore, recipient availability information is received from the messaging systems. The recipient availability information is interpreted so as to determine in which of the messaging systems the recipient is currently available. Furthermore, an originator input including an identification of the recipient is received and an address among the stored addresses that are associated with messaging systems in which the recipient is currently available is chosen. Finally, the messaging system associated with the chosen address is identified.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for enabling the sending of messages to a recipient via any of a number of messaging systems of different types, the method comprising: storing addresses for said recipient; receiving a recipient choice indicating at least one of the stored addresses as a preferred address for communication with said recipient; receiving recipient availability information from said messaging systems; interpreting said recipient availability information so as to determine in which of said messaging systems said recipient is currently available, wherein said recipient is considered to be available in at least said messaging system associated with said preferred address; receiving an originator input including an identification of said recipient, wherein said originator input further includes a message; identifying at least the messaging system associated with the preferred address; after identifying at least said messaging system, sending said message from a user device of said originator to said recipient via at least said messaging system associated with said preferred address; and receiving a recipient selection indicating a different at least one of the stored addresses as a new preferred address for communication with said recipient.
2. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising: choosing a second address among said stored addresses, which second address is associated with a messaging system in which said recipient is currently available; and sending said message to said recipient via the messaging system associated with said second address.
3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein one of said messaging systems is a cellular mobile system and said recipient availability information includes an indication of whether a mobile unit of said recipient is available or not.
4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein said indication of whether said mobile unit of said recipient is available or not is an indication of whether said mobile unit of said recipient is attached to said cellular mobile system or not, further comprising: determining that said mobile unit of said recipient is available if said mobile unit of said recipient is attached to said cellular mobile system; and determining that said mobile unit of said recipient is not available otherwise.
5. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said indication of whether said mobile unit of said recipient is attached to said cellular mobile system or not corresponds to a recipient attachment status in a Home Location Register in said cellular mobile system.
6. The method according to claim 4 , wherein said indication of whether said mobile unit of said recipient is attached to said cellular mobile system or not corresponds to a attachment status in a Visitor Location Register in said cellular mobile system.
7. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising: sending a Short Message Service message to said mobile unit of said recipient via a Short Message Service Center in said cellular mobile system; determining that said mobile unit of said recipient is available if an acknowledgement is received from the Short Message Service Center within a time limit; and determining that said mobile unit of said recipient is not available otherwise.
8. The method according to claim 2 , further comprising: determining the type of message, text or voice, used in the messaging system associated with said second address; and sending said message as said determined type of message to said recipient via the messaging system associated with said second address.
9. The method according to claim 8 , further comprising: receiving a reply message from said recipient as said determined type of message via the messaging system associated with said second address; and converting said reply message to voice if said reply message is a text message.
10. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the messaging system associated with said second address is a cellular mobile system, said second address is a mobile phone number of a mobile unit of said recipient, and the message is sent as a Short Message Service message via said cellular mobile system.
11. The method according to claim 2 , wherein the messaging system associated with said second address is an e-mail system, said second address is an e-mail address of said recipient, and the message is sent as an e-mail via said e-mail system.
12. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said originator input is received as a voice input, further comprising converting said voice input to text.
13. A method as recited in claim 1 , wherein said receiving a recipient selection of at least one of the stored addresses as a preferred address comprises receiving a selected address that is unique to a particular user device of said recipient.
14. A system for enabling the sending of messages to a recipient via any of a number of messaging systems of different types, comprising: first interface means connected to said messaging systems; second interface means for receiving an originator input including an identification of said recipient, said originator input further including a message; third interface means for receiving recipient availability information from said messaging systems; memory means for storing addresses for said recipient, at least one address being selectively identified by said recipient as a preferred address for communication with said recipient; first processing means for choosing at least said preferred address of the stored addresses, and for identifying at least the messaging system associated to the preferred address; and second processing means for interpreting said recipient availability information so as to determine in which of said messaging systems said recipient is currently available, wherein said recipient is considered to be available in at least said messaging system associated with said preferred address; wherein said first processing means are operatively connected to said second processing means, and said first interface means are arranged to send said message to said recipient via at least said messaging system associated with said preferred address, said message being sent from a user device of said originator after first processing means identifies at least said messaging system, and wherein the system is configured such that said recipient can initially choose at least one of the stored addresses to be the preferred address and can subsequently change the preferred address by choosing a different at least one of the stored addresses to be a new preferred address.
15. The system according to claim 14 , wherein said first processing means are arranged to choose a second address among said addresses associated with said messaging systems in which said recipient is currently available and said first interface means are arranged to send said message to said recipient via the messaging system associated with said second address.
16. The system according to claim 15 , wherein one of said messaging systems is a cellular mobile system and said third interface means are arranged to receive recipient availability information including an indication of whether a mobile unit of said recipient is available or not.
17. The system according to claim 16 , wherein said third interface means are arranged to receive said indication of whether said mobile unit of said recipient is available or not as an indication of whether said mobile unit of said recipient is attached to said cellular mobile system or not, and said second processing means are arranged to determine that said mobile unit of said recipient is available if said mobile unit of said recipient is attached to said cellular mobile system and to determine that said mobile unit of said recipient is not available otherwise.
18. The system according to claim 17 , wherein said third interface means are arranged to receive said indication of whether said mobile unit of said recipient is attached to said cellular mobile system or not from a Home Location Register in said cellular mobile system.
19. The system according to claim 17 , wherein said third interface means are arranged to receive said indication of whether said mobile unit of said recipient is attached to said cellular mobile system or not from a Visitor Location Register in said cellular mobile system.
20. The system according to claim 15 , wherein said third interface means are further arranged to send a Short Message Service message to said mobile unit of said recipient via a Short Message Service Center in said cellular mobile system, and said second processing means are arranged to determine that said mobile unit of said recipient is available if an acknowledgement is received from the Short Message Service Center within a time limit and to determine that said mobile unit of said recipient is not available otherwise.
21. The system according claim 15 , wherein said second interface means are arranged to receive said originator input as a text message, further comprising: fourth interface means for receiving said originator input as a voice input; and converting means for converting said voice input to text, said converting means being connected to said second and said fourth interface means.
22. The system according to claim 21 , wherein said first processing means are further arranged to determine the type of message, text or voice, used in the messaging system associated with said second address, and said first interface means are arranged to send said message as the determined type of message to said recipient via the messaging system associated with said second address.
23. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the messaging system associated with said second address is a cellular mobile system, said second address is a mobile phone number of a mobile unit of said recipient, and said first interface means are further arranged to send said message as a Short Message Service message via said cellular mobile system.
24. The system according to claim 23 , wherein said first interface means are further arranged to receive a reply message from said recipient via one of said messaging system, and said converting means are further arranged to convert said reply message to voice if said reply message is a text message.
25. The system according to claim 15 , wherein the messaging system associated with said second address is an e-mail system, said second address is an e-mail address of said recipient, and said first interface means are further arranged to send the message as an e-mail via said e-mail system.
26. A computer readable medium having computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of: storing addresses for a recipient; receiving a recipient selection of at least one of the stored addresses as a preferred address for communication with said recipient; receiving recipient availability information from said messaging systems; and interpreting said recipient availability information so as to determine in which of said messaging systems said recipient is currently available, wherein said recipient is considered to be available in at least said messaging system associated with said preferred address; receiving an originator input including an identification of said recipient, wherein said originator input further includes a message; identifying at least the messaging system associated with the preferred address; after identifying at least said messaging system, sending said message from a user device of said originator to said recipient via at least said messaging system associated with said preferred address; and receiving a recipient selection of a different at least one of the stored addresses as a new preferred address for communication with said recipient.
27. The computer readable medium according to claim 26 having further computer-executable instructions for performing the steps of: choosing a second address among said stored addresses, which second address is associated with a messaging system in which said recipient is currently available; and sending said message to said recipient via the messaging system associated with the second address.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
April 5, 2001
October 31, 2006
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